Starbucks Brewing Bold Changes: AI Barista, Protein Drinks & Pastries on the Menu
Turning around the core business: Niccol openly acknowledges Starbucks’ struggles. In Q3 2025, the chain’s U.S. same-store sales fell again ts2.tech, and profits slumped. Confronting this, he’s doubled down on the customer experience. For example, he’s boosted labor at peak times and introduced a “Green Apron” service model ts2.tech. In other words, rather than relying on automation to save costs, Niccol is adding people and new tools to make stores more welcoming. As he put it this spring: “We’re banking on some growth to come with the investment in the labor and the store experience.” reuters.com